Finally
by broomstick flyer
Summary: Harry Potter has been unhappily married to Ginny for five years, an anulment brings Harry and Hermione together finally.


Disclaimer……….. All characters are the copyright of JK Rowling

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Finally

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Harry watched her finish getting dressed, though why he bothered he did not know, he had never seen her naked. He did not even know what her underwear looked like when she was wearing it.

Once more the hatred built up inside, once more he rolled over and closed his eyes. It had been the same every morning for five of the longest years of his life; he knew that today would be no different than all the others. He could have forced her, he knew that, but it was not in him to do such a thing. To him it would have been and was a crime.

She called out a goodbye as she left to go to work, she had no need to work they had enough money in the bank to buy them anything they could ever want, but she always insisted she just needed to work, she could not just sit at home.

He watched in the large bedroom mirror as the door to the bedroom closed. Turning over he thumped the pillow hard. He hated himself for having loved her, but he hated her more for making him love her. She had once told him that she loved him but that was before they married.

He remembered the ceremony and how happy he had been, his memory led him back to the vow he had made. It was getting harder with every passing day to stick to that vow. The memory of the wedding night flooded his mind he was back in the hotel room waiting as she started to unpack; he watched her slender body as it moved teasingly in front of him.

She had gone to the bathroom to change and he had thought that she was just a little shy; it was after all their first night alone, their first night as man and wife.

Climbing into the bed he waited eagerly for her to come to him. After half an hour he went to check on her, she had walked passed him as though he was not there, on her way from the bathroom dressed in her pyjamas, she rushed past him and climbed into the bed, when he joined her and tried to kiss her she had rolled over to face the other way.

It had been the same every night since. She came home from work and cooked; she cleaned or did the washing on her weekends at home.

He always had clean clothes his food was always ready, but it was always the same if he tried to hug her or kiss her she would find a reason to move away.

In the five years since their wedding she had never held him or kissed him. Never told him she loved him, she would never talk about the way she behaved. Instead she would find something around the house that needed to be done.

Harry could take no more he had reached his limit. He had to speak to someone, but who could he talk to. He had no family except the one he had married into. The only real friends he had was Ron, her brother and Hermione who was now Ron's fiancee. They would both be at work and he could not disturb them. He did not want to have to tell Ron. He felt he had failed as a husband in some way.

Leaving the house he headed as usual to the park where he would sit and talk to the ducks or the swans. He would tell them all his woes and eventually he would begin to feel better, then by the time he arrived home he would tell himself that tonight would be different.

Tonight she would be the girl he had fallen in love with. This thought had gone through his mind day after day but today was a little different.

Today he began to analyse it. She was no longer the same girl he had made the vow too. She was no longer the girl who had seemed so anxious to get married.

No she was a different person now; she was no longer the one he had thought he was marrying. He wished now he had told his first love how he felt about her, shame it was way to late now.

The more he thought about it the more certain he became of the steps he had decided on. He would give her just one more chance, one more time to become his wife in every way and not just in name.

When she arrived home from work he had a meal ready for her, the table was set for romance. Her favourite flowers in a small vase sat in the middle of the table flanked by rose coloured candles. He lit the candles as he heard the door close.

She entered the dining room a look of surprise on her face. Harry placed the two plates on the table and pulled out a chair for her. Together they sat and ate as she gave him a rundown of her days work. The entire meal was spent talking about nothing in particular, though she did seem a little warmer toward him.

The next morning Harry walked into the wizard marriage office. Hermione was sat her head bowed over a parchment she was reading, "Can I help?" she asked as she finished the last line.

"I want to file for a divorce," Harry said quietly. Hermione looked up from the parchment a look of shock on her face.

"Harry, I thought you said file for a divorce."

"That's what I said, I want to file for a divorce," Harry was looking extremely sad but he was also resigned to what he had to do.

Hermione was having trouble believing what she heard. They had seemed so happy, what could have happened to warrant this she could not think.

"Are you sure about this Harry?" she asked.

Harry nodded then stared at the floor, this was going to be hard. Why oh why did one of his best friends have to be on duty today of all days.

Hermione riffled through a draw pulling out a large parchment form before inviting Harry to take a seat at her desk.

"Just a few questions' then," Hermione said, "name- oh sorry Harry, its just that- ok lets get on. Right grounds for the petition?"

Harry looked Hermione in the eye then dropped his gaze to the floor. "I'm still a virgin, I have done all I could think of, but she just does not want to know, I want a family Hermione and I believe the only way to achieve that is to have sex, that's the one thing she will not do."

Harry found himself telling Hermione all that had and had not happened since the day they got married.

Hermione reached down to a desk draw and pulled out another sheet of parchment as she glanced at it she felt a quickening of her heart beat, Harry would be free.

"This is an annulment form Harry, if you are sure you want to go through with this, then we will ask you to take a veritaserum test. It will be carried out by a male healer within the hour, if you are telling the whole truth then we will proceed," she said as a tear fell down her cheek.

Hermione felt her heart go out to him, she had known for many years how much he had wanted a family of his own, the one thing he had never had, the thing she herself was oh so willing to give him.

Harry agreed to the test. Hermione sent for the healer who took Harry for the test. He returned to Hermione's office in less than the hour she had mentioned. She took the form from him and checked out the content, feeling like crying for him and yet cheering at the same time she filled in the form that would give him his freedom and release him from any and all obligations to the woman he had married, she felt guiltily happy as she banged down the rubber stamp that would magically seal the form.

Harry took the completed form and read it, he was no longer married. He had thought it would take months but it had taken less than half a day.

Tears were welling in his eyes as he nodded to Hermione and left her office.

That night Ginny arrived home at the same time as usual, as she entered the living room she found her trunk sitting in the middle of the room accompanied by another brand new one.

She stood frozen to the spot as Ron and Hermione entered from the kitchen. She looked at their faces and could see nothing but disgust in their eyes.

"What's going on Ron?" she asked in a scared voice.

It was Hermione who answered her question "How could you be so cruel for so long?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Hermione," she answered.

"When did you become so evil, all his life all he ever wanted was a family with the woman he loved. I hate you Ginny," Ron said with venom in his voice.

She knew then he had told them, she knew that they knew, yet she gave them no reason, no explanation.

They all turned as Harry entered the room, he watched as her face displayed several different looks, she looked at him wondering what was happening.

"I packed your things, now if you would kindly leave the key to my house, take your possessions and go Miss Weasley.

Oh yes you will want a copy of the annulment papers, Hermione was good enough to make me an extra copy."

"And don't bother to go to the Burrow, you're not wanted there," Ron said as it dawned on her she was no longer Mrs Harry Potter, she was no longer married to the most famous wizard since Merlin.

Ginny could not believe what she was hearing, he had told Hermione and Ron. Tomorrow every one would know.

But for now she wished with all her heart she had told the man she loved that she was absolutely terrified at the very thought of getting pregnant and having a baby. She knew she had a psychological problem but she was also terrified of telling anyone, she was too stubborn to proud to ask for help.

One month later.

"Ron we need to talk," Hermione said as she invited him into her flat.

Ronald Weasley instantly went on the defensive, he had heard that tone in her voice before, several times in fact and he knew what she was going to ask him.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" he asked knowing exactly what she was about to ask, he already had his excuse made up.

"Have you decided on a date for our wedding yet?" she asked knowing by the colour of his ears that he had his answer ready.

"We need to wait a while longer; I need to get this next promotion before I can think about a date," he said giving her a false smile.

"Ron we have been engaged for seven years, each year you come up with a different excuse as to why we should wait," Hermione said nervously.

"Well as soon as this promotion is in the bag, I'll give it some thought," he promised.

Hermione had to hide the small grin that wanted to surface on her face. This was going exactly as she had hoped it would "And when will you know about this promotion?" she asked crossing her fingers behind her back, praying he gave his usual answer.

Ron did what she had expected of him, he stuttered a little and them stammered as he if and butted, and then he said quite happily "We should know by this time next year, I'm almost sure."

Hermione frowned at him for a few seconds before she began to pull at the engagement ring on her left hand, it took her several seconds to remove the ring but it finally slid over the knuckle that had been holding it tight.

"Wrong answer Ron," she said as she placed the ring into his hand "goodbye Ron." She pushed him gently out of the door and closed it in his face without the slightest regret.

Ronald Bilius Weasley stood outside Hermione's door where she had pushed him, he was staring down at the ring in his hand, he could not believe she had given it back, they had been together since the last battle against Voldemort and he thought she would be happy as long as she had the ring, she had just shoved it in his hand and said it was over for good.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she rested with her back on the door, it had been so much easier than she had thought it would be, she had been thinking of ending it with him for three years, she wanted to be a mother, she wanted to have children of her own, and she had known for quite some time that Ron didn't want to be married, he was happy to be engaged, he did not want any children to spoil his position as the main person in her life, he did not want to be over shadowed by kids like he had been by his brothers.

Christmas eve two months later.

Harry walked into the Hogs head pub and looked around, it took him but a few seconds to spy Hagrid and Hermione sitting in the far corner, nodding to Abe the bar man and indicating he wanted a pint of best beer he made his way to sit with his best friend and his first friend.

"So Arry, nice to see ya, I'm gla ya come early cos I gotta go see ter a blooming Unicorn," Hagrid said as he got up and drained his huge tankard. "I'll leave yer ter talk then," he said as he waved goodbye and walked out of the pub.

"So Hermione how are you?" Harry asked as he kissed her on the cheek before taking a seat.

"I'm fine, Harry though I do have a question for you," Hermione said as a huge blush turned her cheeks red.

Harry surprised by Hermione's blush sat closer to her and said "Okay ask away."

Hermione took a deep breath then looked him straight in the eye, "Will you marry me Harry?"

Harry stared at her his mouth open and his eyes wide, "Pardon?" he said gulping as he did.

"Harry we both really want children, we have known each other for years, been best friends for all that time, we've even slept in the same bed, we know almost every thing there is to know about each other, the only thing I'm not sure about is if you feel the same way I do, I've spent my life loving you, I will always love you. I want to be the mother of a family, our family," Hermione said her blush getting deeper in colour.

Harry Potter slayer of dark wizards, Dragons, basilisks and other sundry beasts sat stunned, he stared at Hermione for quite some time trying to think of something to say. As he stared into her eyes he remembered all they had done together, all she meant to him, how he had loved her before he even noticed Ginny bloomin Weasley. Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning, if he simply said yes he could full fill all the dreams he had had as a teenager, he could finally marry the girl who had filled his erotic dreams from his third year at school right upto his seventh year.

Hermione held her breath as Harry seemed to be in shock, she felt her cheeks burning as he stared into her eyes and she wondered if he was about to turn her down, or worse laugh at her. But no, Harry was suddenly nodding his head, she almost fainted with the pleasure she got from watching his head nod yes in answer.

"When?" he simply asked.

"When what?" Hermione replied as though in a daze.

"When do you want to get married?" Harry asked chuckling at the odd situation they were in.

Hermione took in a breath "Well I most certainly don't want another eternally long engagement," she answered.

"Well how about next month, we can get your mum to organise everything, give us time to spend some time as more than best friends," Harry said with a huge smile on his face.

One month later

Harry stood open mouthed as Hermione walked down the aisle of the little church in Hogsmeade, Neville standing beside him nudged him and whispered "Harry mate you are dribbling."

Hermione could not believe that the man she had written off as beyond her reach stood waiting at the end of the aisle, waiting for her, she wanted to run, to get there so that she could say I do, but her father held her arm and gently held her back to a walk.

One year later.

Harry and Hermione stood in the same little church and watched as Neville and Luna Longbottom took hold of their son and promised to be the best godparents they could be to little Richard James Potter.

Harry and Hermione had found a love so deep it had survived all that was thrown at it, a love that had started between two eleven year old children and would go on and last them for all time. They had found in each other the soul mate that every one wants to find, they had a love they could share with their children and their children's children. They had found the perfect love, a love that was not that easy for them to see, and they both knew it was that much more precious for them to have realised it was there finally.

A/Note.

I got this little idea from a news report I read, some poor guy had been married for twenty years yet his wife never once kissed him. They had a couple of sons so things were not as bad for that poor guy as I have made it for Harry with Ginny. Just been wondering what it would be like, this story was the best I could come up with.


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